The usability of mobile messaging systems

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Abstract

Mobile technologies are improving everyday and modern users’ needs are growing continuously. Current mobile messaging systems are more advanced than traditional mobile messaging systems; however, the systems still can not meet smart users’ requirements. Using a survey and usability tests, this research aimed to link users’ real expectations and needs with mobile phone models popular at the time of the study.

The studied confirmed that users are varied; they come from different backgrounds, cultures, expertise, age groups and they have different interests towards the usages of mobile phones in messaging services. Contextual inquiry available through usability tests was applied to match different users in different environments with different tasks, in order to achieve real time practical results.

Two main recommendations were generated. First, mobile phones with more than one messaging input system will greatly improve users’ needs in different environments where there is a mixture of availability of hands. Second, because use of two languages within one communication interaction appears to becoming more frequent, multi-language platforms in mobile phone input devices will become essential.